The San Diego Museum of Art and Art of Elan announce virtual summer concert series

SDMA and Art of Elan announce virtual summer concert series

Posted on May 26, 2020

Building on the 13-season partnership between the two arts organizations, The San Diego Museum of Art and Art of Elan will host an online video series featuring musical performances inspired by works of art from the museum’s permanent collection that are meant to inspire and uplift the community. The concert series will kick off with its first performance on Tuesday, June 9, with a violin performance from Art of Elan Executive and Artistic Director Kate Hatmaker.

The schedule of performances (each under ten minutes in length) will be available for viewing every other Tuesday at 6pm PST on The San Diego Museum of Art’s YouTube channel and includes:

June 9: Kate Hatmaker — Violinist; artwork pairing: Virgin and Child with Saint John by Francisco de Zurbarán. Art of Elan Executive and Artistic Director Kate Hatmaker has been a part of the San Diego Symphony since 2006, and has participated in various American orchestras in the country, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the New World Symphony.

June 23: Demarre McGill — Flutist; artwork pairing: Notre Dame by Maximilien Luce. Internationally recognized artist and Sphinx Medal of Excellence winner, McGill has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and more. McGill is the current principal flute of the Seattle Symphony.

July 7: Julie Smith Phillips — Harpist; artwork pairing: In the San Felipe Valley by Charles Reiffel. Recognized as one of the most prominent young harpists, Phillips is the principal harpist of the San Diego Symphony since 2007. Having made her debut with the National Symphony Orchestra in 2003, Phillips has been honored for her playing, including the 2004 USA International Harp Competition silver medal.

July 21: Keir GoGwilt — Violinist; artwork pairing: Doors I by Claudia Fernández. A violinist, writer and musicologist, GoGwilt is also a founding member of the arts company, AMOC. GoGwilt has soloed with groups like the Chinese National Symphony, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and others.

August 4: Rose Lombardo — Flutist; artwork pairing: Las Tres Virgenes Volcano at Sunset. Spanning the globe from Boston, to Europe to China, Lombardo has performed at top music halls around the world, including Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, and more. Lombardo performs regularly with the San Diego Symphony Chamber Music Series as well as Art of Elan.

August 18: Stephanie Richards — Trumpeter; artwork pairing: Circle, Blue-Violet by DeWain Valentine. Not only a trumpeter but also a conductor and composer, Richards’ works featuring avant-garde jazz have premiered at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Blue Note in New York. Richards has also debuted records of her work titled Fullmoon, Take The Neon Lights, and the upcoming Supersense. Richards is on the faculty at UC San Diego.

The musical series with Art of Elan is part of the museum’s Virtual SDMA+ programming, which features unique online experiences offered in collaboration with local performing arts institutions to inspire a robust appreciation of the arts and a deeper exploration of the Museum’s permanent collection. Additional art-inspired performances will be held this summer by The San Diego Shakespeare Society, San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory, and Black Xpression.

“The Museum is delighted to continue its long-time partnership with Art of Elan to bring our renowned collection into the homes of our local community as well as art aficionados and music lovers from around the world,” says Roxana Velásquez, Maruja Baldwin Executive Director of The San Diego Museum of Art. “We hope people will be inspired by the communicative power of the musical performances combined with our sublime works of art.”

In addition to Virtual SDMA+ programming, the museum continues to inspire, educate, and cultivate curiosity through its Virtual SDMA offerings, including the Masterpiece Minute podcast where museum-goers can listen to 60-second mini episodes led by curators spotlighting works from the Museum’s permanent collection. The SDMA mobile app offers virtual tours, audio clips, games, and much more. In addition, the Museum’s social channels feature new challenges to engage with the arts at home, while SDMA at Play offers educational activities for art students of all ages. sdmart.org